Written by Candace on May 28, 2014 | 6 Comments

Date Idea: Wine & Cheese Night At Home

If there is one thing I appreciate, it’s having an honest friend. One who is willing to take a risk to tell you the truth. That is love.

I have a very dear friend named Kris who is married with two beautiful daughters under the age of 5 years old. She and her husband Peter (our web designer) have always been our #2 fans (#1 fan goes to my mom). They have cheered us on since day one and comforted me while I sat and cried tears of disappointment as I waited impatiently for the day I could quit my day job and join Vitaliy full-time on our business. Their friendship for this reason and many others will always be cherished.

Kris recently told me that she loves our date nights but they are completely impractical for this season of their lives. With two little ones at home and living away from family, they don’t often have the luxury of going out just the two of them. I know there are a lot of people in the same boat. While we don’t have children yet, we have implemented a new budget that does require we get a little more creative and budget friendly with our date nights. With these two things in mind, I’ve been trying to brainstorm more at-home date ideas.

My first one up is a wine/cheese date night at home. I realize it’s nothing new, but it’s definitely one I forgot about and recently thoroughly enjoyed. I used this guide to help make our menu. I find this idea perfect for so many reasons! It’s a no fuss kind of meal and doesn’t require much prep at all. You can enjoy over a movie, a good conversation, or a fun game together. And let’s just be honest, a little wine always helps in the intimacy department. And if you didn’t know, now you know.

I hope you enjoy! Let’s Make Marriage Happen! One date night at a time.

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Written by Candace on May 15, 2014 | Chime in

Date Night Celebrations

I recently came across a few blog posts in my “drafts” that I never ended up sharing. As I reread this one, I wondered why it never made it to the blog. I resonated with it even now so I thought I’d go ahead and share it…

Last Saturday, Vitaliy and I decided to devote the evening to celebrating the end of the 2013 wedding season.

I find it so important to take time to reflect. To share areas that need improvement. And toast to the areas you are most thankful for. Vitaliy and I spend date nights going out to eat all the time. I know a lot of you do too. It’s easy. But this dinner was so different. Vitaliy kept saying on the way home what a great time he had. I felt the same.

But what made this dinner so much more memorable and enjoyable? It was intentional.

We had a goal in mind for the dinner. We wanted to reflect on the wedding season, on our business, to reminisce. In order to do this, we were very intentional about the questions we asked each other to spur our memories. We talked and toasted, we laughed and almost cried, we love and listened. We didn’t just let the conversation wonder wherever. And lastly, we spent a good chunk of the time celebrating. Keeping the conversation on a positive note makes the world of a difference at the end of the night. You return home filled up and hopeful.

For your next dinner date night, be a little more intentional about your conversation and I promise it will go a long way. Life is hard; spend time celebrating even the smallest accomplishments together.

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Written by Candace on April 24, 2014 | 2 Comments

The Suitcase
Of My Heart

I should have bought this journal when I saw it. I just love this quote!

They should tell you when you’re born: have a suitcase heart, be ready to travel.
– Gabrielle Zevin

Someone should have told me this when I was born. I could have used the wise warning. I love that you can interpret this quote both literally and figuratively. And it can be applied to so many seasons of my life. When I first moved to California, I was desperate. I don’t recall thinking about leaving my family. All I could think about was being closer to Vitaliy and beginning our own family. It didn’t feel permanent. It felt like a temporary fix. We needed to get married and we needed to help take care of Vitaliy’s sister Leska. We’d worry about the future later, all we could think about was the moment. I should probably learn from my past and live more like that today. Stop worrying about the future.

But now that we’ve lived there for more than 8 years, it’s beginning to feel more permanent which is hard on the heart. I miss my family. I need a bigger suitcase heart. I can only imagine how much more difficult it will be once Vitaliy and I start having children. But as hard as it can be, I also can’t deny this love for adventure in my heart. One that my husband helped cultivate. I have a new found love for travel. And I’m surprised to say, I have a crush on California.

I’m thrilled that our work not only allows us to travel, but it’s also a reason for travel. I’m currently sitting in my dear friends home overlooking a phenomenal view of Washington, D.C. We are photographing Elias and Yuris’ wedding nearby on Saturday. I’m so thankful to be able to do what I love. I’m so grateful that our work is giving us the chance to explore new places. But even more so, I’m ecstatic that our work has brought us to the city of our dear friends Francis and Joanna. It was actually their referral that brought us here. So a big thank you to them!

I love to travel, but I also love to be at home. I long for adventure, but I also like to play it safe. In joy and in sorrow, the suitcase of my heart continues to grow. It’s packed with those I love, those that are near and especially the ones who are far.

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